An educational blog for teachers and students.

Leverage the crowdfunding resource designed for educators

Posted on September 20, 2018

You want the best for your students, but sometimes the resources they need most are expensive. As a teacher, you’d stop at nothing to get them everything they need to be successful, even if it means dipping into your own bank account.

In fact, educators are often forced to buy things their classrooms need. Teachers spend an average of $500 a year of their own money to buy school supplies.1 But there is an alternative: Crowdfunding can be a great way to fund classroom needs. And DonorsChoose.org is one of the best crowdfunding resources available to new educators.

DonorsChoose.org is a not-for-profit organization that connects teachers in need of school supplies with donors who want to help. These resources help students both in and out of the classroom.

Unlike other crowdfunding websites, DonorsChoose.org is specifically tailored to educators. With the mission of bringing funds into classrooms and keeping money in your bank account, this resource can impact your students in amazing ways.

Why is DonorsChoose.org so great?

They’ve done their research on crowdfunding and educators, so they know all about bringing in the bucks.

73% of projects posted to DonorsChoose.org are funded.

These projects have brought in more than $536 million in resources to public school classrooms.

Since 2000, DonorsChoose.org has enabled the funding of more than 907,000 classroom projects benefiting more than 22.5 million students.2

How does it work?

Simply go to DonorsChoose.org and pick out what you need from the online store. When creating your project, take the time to explain why and how the resources you’re requesting will impact your students.

After your project is posted, let it fly! Share it with friends, family, co-workers—anyone under the sun.

You can also reach out to your local Horace Mann representative and have him or her help you spread the word on social media and in other schools in your community.

Pro tip: Research shows projects with a total dollar amount of $400 or less have a better chance of getting funded. If your project is more than $400, split it into two projects, keeping both of them under the $400 mark.

Stay on the lookout for Horace Mann’s periodic $10,000 DonorsChoose.org giveaways on their Facebook page. For four weeks out of the year, you can enter for a chance to win up to $500 for your project.